Match the pairs: National Congress Sessions and Venue — Chairman a. Second Session of Congress 1886 – Calcutta — I. Badruddin Tyabji b. Third Session of Congress 1887 – Madras — II. William Wedderburn c. Fourth Session of Congress 1888 – Allahabad — III. Dadabhai Naoroji d. Fifth Session of Congress 1889 – Mumbai — IV. George Yule

For ancient India, MPSC weighs Buddhism, Jainism, Ashoka's edicts, the Guptas (with their Sanskrit revival and the Ajanta murals) and the Cholas of the south. Within Maharashtra specifically, the Satavahana period is the anchor — capitals at Junnar, Paithan and Nashik, patronage of Amaravati and Sanchi stupas, and the Naneghat and Nashik cave inscriptions that MPSC often cites verbatim. The Vakatakas and their Ajanta patronage, the Rashtrakutas at Manyakheta with the Ellora Kailasa temple (Cave 16), and the Yadavas at Devagiri close out the ancient-to-medieval Maharashtra arc.

For medieval India, the Delhi Sultanate's five dynasties (Slave, Khilji, Tughlaq, Sayyid, Lodhi) are asked chronologically. Alauddin Khilji's Deccan campaigns brought Islamic rule to Maharashtra; Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq briefly shifted his capital to Daulatabad (Devagiri) in 1327; the Bahmani sultanate broke off in 1347 with its capital at Gulbarga and later Bidar; and the five successor sultanates (Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Berar, Bidar, Golconda) shaped Deccan politics till Mughal conquest.

Marathi historiography — from the bakhars to modern academic work by Sir Jadunath Sarkar, G.S. Sardesai and R.C. Majumdar — is occasionally referenced in interpretation-style MPSC questions. Our History study guide summarises each historian's central thesis in one line so you can attempt these interpretation items without reading the full volumes.